Grip exerciser



May 27, 1924. v 1,495,278

H. W. TITUS GRIP EXERCISER Filed June 6. 192] INVENTOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented May 27, 1924.

IT ED 5'! TE Application filed June 6,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY IV. TITUS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grip Exercisers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby anyone skilled in the art may make and use the same.

The invention relates to an exercising apparatus of a character similar to that shown in m co-pending application, Serial No. 384,827 filed May 28th, 1920; the invention herein involved being a continuation in part thereof.

IVhile in the main, the present invention is similar to that described in said co-pending application, it has certain features of difference which give a greater latitude of action in exercising and strengthening the muscles. In my co-pending application, the exercising apparatus illustrated served to strengthen the muscles of the forearm and hand.

In the arrangement of elements shown herein, provision is made for not only strengthening the muscles of the forearm and hand, but also the shoulder, back and chest muscles. It is. in effect, a double grip which can be held between the two hands and used in any position of the'hands and arms.

Grip exercises are not new in the art, and there have been many forms of such devices wherein two members were grasped in the hands to be squeezed together by the operator against the resistance of compressible materials. Such devices, however, have been limited in their application as muscle builders owing to an inability to secure a long flexible and interchangeable resistance to the movements of the hands.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a device in which the thumb and palm of the hand rest against a grip member which forms a sup-port for a co-operating movable grip which may have interchangeable tension devices. A further object is to provide an arrangement by which the tension devices are under the operation of both hands so that the hands and arms may be extended in any position with the tension devices offering resistance to the pull of the hands. A still furthenobject is to provide a simple device in which there GRIP EXERCISER.

1921. Serial No. 475,245.

will be no cramping of the parts as they move with reference to each other.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1, is a view in elevation illustrating a device, certain parts being broken in section.

Figure 2, is a detailed view of one of the grip handles and appurtenant frame part.

Figure 3, is a plan view of the frame and grip member.

Figure 4:, illustrates a modified form of tension device.

One of the particular advantages which may be derived from the use of the apparatus results from an ability to use interchangeable tension devices so that the muscles may be gradually built up, that is, comparatively weak tension devices maybe employed at the start and these may be removedand stronger tensions put in place as required.

This feature of interchangeable tension devices, together with the ability to use the apparatus with both hands and arms or with a single hand and arm in any position, makes it possible to develop muscles throughout the arms, hands, chest and back.

In the accompanying drawings. numeral 1, denotes a frame or support of substantial rectangular form. the two endsthereof being butted as at 2, within a hand member 3. At the opposite end'of the frame there is a similar hand member 4. The frame described constitutes the main, supporting, guiding frame of the apparatus and is sufficiently stiff to properly support the grip frames. Slidably arranged within the frame 1, are grip frames 5, 6, each of which bears a grip member 7, 8. These grip framesare suitably formed up with guides 9, which encircle the side members of the frame 1. I

As specifically illustrated herein, the grip frames 5 and 6, are formed from a suitably sized wire, the transverse member of the frame being flattened out as at 10, and-provided with perforation 11, for the insertion of tension devices 12. I

The wire at either end of its flattened portion 10. is bent to form tubular spirals 13, which form guides for the grip frames upon the side members of the main frame 1. The ends of the wires of the grip frame are turned at right angles and passed into the grip members 7, and 8.

The frame 1, is provided with suitably arranged stops 14, 15, at either sides of the frame and these stops may be conveniently formed by bending or flattening out the Wire of the side members of the frame 1. They serve as abutments for the grip frames so that said-frames will be under high tension of the tension devices 12, and yet will not be pulled together.

The coil or spiral form of the grip frames with the engaged frame members are of a particular advantage inasmuch as they give an extremely long bearing over the grip frames so that there will be no cramping of the parts as these grip frames slide back and forth upon the side members of the frame 1.

The tension device 12, may be of any desired strength or resistance and may be readily interchanged by slipping their hooked extremities into the perforations 11, of the grip frame.

The hand members 3, 4, and grip members "7, 8, may be of any suitable material and form to rest comfortably on the hand and it is particularly desirable that the grip members he rotatable on the frame so that a rolling motion will be given to the fingers as they compress the grips.

In the modified form of the device, in place of utilizing the springs of the coiled expansion type, an elastic member 16, may be employed by fastening its two ends 17, 18, to one of the grip frames with intermediate loops of elastic member 16, passing thru suitable perforations in the grip frame members intermediate the two fixed ends of the elastic.

As the frames are moved apart, the elastic will move backward and forward thru the perforations and adjust itself as it is put under tension and relieved.

In fact, the exact form of resistance to be applied to the moving of the grip frame is not essential, although the spiral springs illustrated in Figure 1, have been found very efficacious.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, a stifi supporting and guiding frame, hand members arranged at opposite ends of the frame, a pair of cooperating grip members movably arranged within and supported by the frame and tension devices intermediate the said movable grip members.

2. In a device of the character described, a stiff supporting frame, hand members at opposite ends of the frame, co-operating grip members movably arranged within the frame and supported against lateral binding movements and interchangeable tension devices intermediate the said movable grip members and tending to draw them toward each other.

3. A device of the character described, a stiff supporting main frame, hand members at opposite ends thereof, a pair of frames slidably arranged on the main frame, grip members upon each of said slidable frames arranged respectively opposite the hand members of the main frame and interchangeable tension devices between and uniting the sliding) frames.

4;. In a grip exerciser, a main frame hav ing stiff side bars formed with stops, hand members on each end of said frame, a pair of co-operating movable grip frames pro-. vided respectively with. hand grips arranged opposite the hand members of the main frame, each of said frames formed from a wire bent to provide cylindrical bearings upon the side bars of the main frame and arranged to bear against the said stops of the main, frame and tension devices intermediate said frames tending to draw them toward each other.

In a grip exerciser, a main frame having stiff side bars, hand pieces on opposite ends of said frame, stops spaced apart, carried by each side bar of the main frame; a pair of grip frames arranged to slide upon the main. frame as they move toward and away from each other and arranged to be respectively arrested by the stops at the limits of their movements toward each other, said grip frames consisting of a rod or wire bent to form to engage the side members of the main frame and with their lateral bars pressed out and perforated to receive securing means of a series of tension members and tension members separably connected with the said perforated lateral bars of the grip frames operating to draw the said frames toward each other.

(i. In a grip exerciser, a main frame having stiff side bars, hand members on each end of said frame, a pair of spaced apart stops carried. by each side bar of the main frame, grip frames formed from wire, said frames being coiled about the side bars of the main frame to provide substantially long bearings, grip members joining the ends of the grip frames and arranged opposite to th hand members of the main frame, and movable tension means uniting the grip frames and operating to draw them toward each other and against the stops carried by the side bars of the main frame.

HENRY W. TI'IUS.

Witnesses:

M. J OSEPIHNE CRownLL, EL-sA M. Because. 

